Book picks similar to
Podium Finish by Beth Pond


young-adult
sports
romance
contemporary

Young Annabelle


Sarah Tork - 2013
    Someone should have told me sooner…that falling for a guy like that…was not a good idea. At all. Just past the halfway mark on her summer from hell weightloss journey, seventeen year old Annabelle Simms has lost a grand total of nine pounds. Which should have been great, but not where her mother was concerned. According to her, nine pounds wasn’t good enough and ridiculously slow considering she counted every calorie Annabelle ate and burned. Already a star on the Royal Heights High School Baseball team, James Lawson wasn’t your average transfer student. Even with his ‘new guy’ status, he quickly becomes one of the ‘Kings of the Hallway’ and that alone should have been the red flag Annabelle needed to stay away from him. He’s arrogant, intense, rude and worst of all he seems like the kind of guy that usually gets what he wants. But the more time they spend together, it becomes difficult to stray away from those beautiful green eyes, especially with all the stress her mother is causing her. Will Annabelle wake up and see James for what her ‘common sense’ declares him to be or will she ignore everything and open her heart, allowing James to capture her…care for her…..body, mind and soul? Warning Contains Mature Scenes Recommend for ages 17+ This is not a standalone novel. Book 1 in Y.A Series

Bunheads


Sophie Flack - 2011
    Up until now, Hannah has happily devoted her entire life to ballet.But when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, Hannah's universe begins to change, and she must decide if she wants to compete against the other "bunheads" in the company for a star soloist spot or strike out on her own in the real world. Does she dare give up the gilded confines of the ballet for the freedoms of everyday life?

Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys


Kate Brian - 2005
    Now, seven years later, Megan's army doctor parents are shipping off to Korea and Megan is being sent to live with the little monsters, who are older now and quite different than she remembered them. Living in a house with seven boys will give Megan, who has never even been kissed, the perfect opportunity to learn everything there is to know about boys. And she'll send all her notes to her best friend, Tracy, in... Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys Observation #1: Being an army brat sucks. Except that this is definitely a better alternative to moving to Korea. Observation #2: Forget evil, laughing, little monsters. These guys have been touched by the Abercrombie gods. They are a blur of toned, suntanned perfection. Observation #3: I need a lock on my door. STAT. Observation #4: Three words: six-pack abs. Observation #5: Do not even get me started on the state of the bathroom. I'm thinking of calling in a hazmat team. Seriously. Observation #6: These boys know how to make enemies. Big time. Megan Meade will have to juggle a new school, a new family, a new crush -- on the boy next door, as in next bedroom door -- and a new life. Will she survive the McGowan boys?

Other Words for Love


Lorraine Zago Rosenthal - 2011
    Her hair is too flat, her style too preppy, and her personality too quiet. And outside school, Ari feels outshined by her beautiful, confident best friend, Summer. Their friendship is as complex and confusing as Ari’s relationship with her troubled older sister, Evelyn, a former teenage mom whose handsome firefighter husband fills Ari’s head with guilty fantasies.When an unexpected inheritance enables Ari to transfer to an elite Manhattan prep school, she makes a wealthy new friend, Leigh. Leigh introduces Ari to the glamorous side of New York—and to her gorgeous cousin, Blake. Ari doesn't think she stands a chance, but amazingly, Blake asks her out. As their romance heats up, they find themselves involved in an intense, consuming relationship. Ari's family worries that she is losing touch with the important things in life, like family, hard work, and planning for the future. When misfortune befalls Blake's family, he pulls away, and Ari's world drains of color. As she struggles to get over the breakup, Ari must finally ask herself: were their feelings true love . . . or something else?

So I'm a Double Threat


Julie Prestsater - 2009
    Expectations and hopes are high for their Freshman year. Meggie wants nothing more than to experience all high school has to offer – growing freedom, hot boys, parties, make-out sessions, and did I mention hot boys? Enter Alex Aguilar. At seventeen, he is Carver High’s sports superstar and dreamy superstud. Yet, despite the hype, Alex is undeniably sweet, and Meggie is beyond smitten. But, of course, he is a SENIOR. So, ought to be completely off limits for a ninth grader, right? Age doesn’t always dictate whom you will love, though. So I’m A Double Threat is the start of their journey. Will young love survive the challenges presented them or is friendship all they can only really hope for? Backs will be stabbed, hearts will be broken, tears will be shed. But, despite this, Meggie’s strong-willed determination, loyalty, and zest for fun, will ensure the ride is a memorable one. (This book has mature content intended for older young adult audiences.)

Magnolia


Kristi Cook - 2014
    Neighbors since the Civil War, the families have shared vacations, holidays, backyard barbecues, and the overwhelming desire to unite their two clans by marriage. So when a baby boy and girl were born to the families at the same time, the perfect opportunity seemed to have finally arrived.Jemma Cafferty and Ryder Marsden have no intention of giving in to their parents’ wishes. They’re only seventeen, for goodness’ sake, not to mention that one little problem: They hate each other! Jemma can’t stand Ryder’s nauseating golden-boy persona, and Ryder would like nothing better than to pretend stubborn Jemma doesn’t exist.But when a violent storm ravages Magnolia Branch, it unearths Jemma’s and Ryder’s true feelings for each other as the two discover that the line between love and hate may be thin enough to risk crossing over.

Be More Chill


Ned Vizzini - 2004
    Day after day, he stares at beautiful Christine, the girl he can never have, and dryly notes the small humiliations that come his way. Until the day he learns about the "squip." A pill-sized supercomputer that you swallow, the squip is guaranteed to bring you whatever you most desire in life. By instructing him on everything from what to wear, to how to talk and walk, the squip transforms Jeremy from Supergeek to superchic. Now an off-Broadway musical!Alternate cover: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

Cutters vs. Jocks


Elizabeth Marx - 2011
    But admission to law school is Libby’s ticket out of Indiana and her escape from small town life forever. During a night on the town, Libby beats the most competitive athlete on campus at pool and draws more attention from him than she’s prepared for.Aidan Palowski is one of those jocks your friends warned you about—the kind that never loose—the kind that put notches in their baseball bats. As the closing pitcher on the best baseball team in the Big Ten, he’s on his way to the major leagues. Aidan always gets what he wants and Libby is the final home run he wants to hit out of the park.The last thing Libby needs is to get sidetracked by a superstar jock. Afraid that she might be on a collision course with love at first sight Libby keeps her distance, but the longer she holds out the more Aidan realizes it’s a case of lust he can’t fight.What happens when worthy opponents refuse to play their hearts out?CUTTERS VS. JOCKSThe story of two lovers who put their future goals ahead of each other’s love before they were brought to the table for BINDING ARBITRATION.

Hired


Lily Harlem - 2010
    Not when it would make my dreams of going to nursing school possible. I wasn’t even expected to talk to him, just hang out in a luxurious villa on a private beach and study. Simple, right?But I hadn’t counted on Logan being so deliciously bad that he was oh so good. And when the temperature cranked to boiling point, he knew just how to satisfy the deepest, darkest part of my soul and give my body exactly what it needed. Amongst the sand and waves, we transported each other to an exquisite world of pleasure where only we existed, only we mattered.But the heady mix of emotions and lust couldn’t keep things from spiraling out of control back in reality, where I had to keep the secret that I’d been hired to entertain him…even if it shattered my delicate heart. Even if it cost my destiny.

By Invitation Only


Geneva Lee - 2016
    Welcome to Belle Mère, the most exclusive zip code outside the Las Vegas Strip. Emma Southerly doesn't belong in their world or at the West's exclusive, invite-only party. But it's just a party. What could go wrong?Running into her ex and his wicked, new girlfriend for starters. Losing her best friend to the crowd.Then, she meets Jameson.Gorgeous. Enigmatic. Uninterested in the rest of Belle Mère's games.Spending the night with him is against all her rules, but she doesn't want to walk away. The next morning he's gone, but Emma has a bigger problem. A body's been found and Jameson is the number one suspect...

You Against Me


Jenny Downham - 2010
    It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it's a book about love.

All About Mia


Lisa Williamson - 2017
    AUDREY, the youngest: future Olympic swimming champion. And MIA, the mess in the middle. Mia is wild and daring, great with hair and selfies, and the undisputed leader of her friends – not attributes appreciated by her parents or teachers. When Grace makes a shock announcement, Mia hopes that her now-not-so-perfect sister will get into the trouble she deserves. But instead, it is Mia whose life spirals out of control – boozing, boys and bad behaviour – and she starts to realise that her attempts to make it All About Mia might put at risk the very things she loves the most.

Dating Diaries


Kristen Kemp - 2004
    Twelve weeks. A buoyant and observant comedy about having a long-term relationship end -- and discovering what life is like outside of it.Katie James has been dating Paul for the past five years, since seventh grade. Then, as the prom approaches, he dumps her. The last time she was on her own, she was wearing a training bra. Now she's about to see what life is like without Paul -- and what it's like to date. She makes a resolution -- she will date twelve guys in twelve weeks, making up for all the time she wasted with Paul. But nothing quite goes the way she plans. Dating is difficult -- and difficult can be both fraught and fun. Katie's about to find out what she's been missing . . . and how to be herself without a guy

Bad Boys Break Hearts


Micalea Smeltzer - 2020
    Rich. Hotter than sin. The campus’s reigning bad boy. We knew each other once upon a time, but even if I’m named after a princess, it doesn’t mean my life is a fairytale. My plan is to keep my head down, get my degree, and leave this town.But the moment Mascen Wade recognizes me all my carefully laid plans come crumbling down. He’s decided he wants to make my life a living hell. But I’m not so easy to push around and won’t put up with his bully playground antics. Too bad for me I’ve never been able to resist him.

The Ivy


Lauren Kunze - 2010
    Now what are you going to do?Callie Andrews may not have money or connections or the right clothes, and she may have way too many complications in her love life, what withGregorythe guy she loves to hate ...Evanthe guy she'd love to forget ...Clintthe guy she'd love to love ...and Mattthe guy she really should love ...all vying for her attention.But she has three fantastic roommates (best friends or her worst nightmare?) and a wholesome California-girl reputation (oops) and brains and beauty and big, big dreams.Will it be enough to help her survive freshman year at Harvard?